The Penny Sanchez Story: A Chalkzone Fic
by ElvenQueenWren
Summary: What's life like for Penny at home? What was life like for her BEFORE the Chalkzone days? What starts out as a simple vacation ends up answering these questions and more. Chapter Three up!
1. Default Chapter

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Chalkzone. There, that was simple enough. Chalkzone is a copyright of Nickelodeon Studios.  
  
Penny Sanchez sat curled up in the corner of her bottom bunk, her couch. She could hear her mother and father fighting in the other room. She was glad she couldn't hear what they were saying. But that didn't matter. Penny knew that they were fighting about her. That was always the reason. Penny called one of her three dogs, Sadie, over to her. Of all her pets, Sadie was her favorite. Instead of the purebred looks that her mother prized so much, Sadie was a mutt. All of the dogs had taken to retreating to Penny's room whenever the fights started. Penny buried her face in Sadie's hair. She felt like crying, but the tears no longer came. But sulking would not do. Penny had learned that long ago. She reached over, and turned on the song "That'd be All Right". It always managed to make her feel better. But not tonight... Well, she had to admit, it did lift her spirits a little bit. Penny reached under the bed, and pulled out a book. Ever since she was little, books and music had been her way to escape from reality. She would open thebook , and drift into what ever story she was reading, just as the music took her along on a ride. Penny checked the cover. "Gone With The Wind." It was okay. She had read it a few times before. Penny opened up to the first page. "Scarlet O'Hara was not beautiful..." Just as the song hit the first chorus: "We'd be livin' us a pretty good life, that'd be all right..."  
  
"Heya, Rudy. Where's Penny?" Snap questioned his three-dimensional friend.  
  
"She had to pack today. She said she was leaving on ANOTHER trip."  
  
"Did she happen to say where to?"  
  
"Nope. She's going to be gone for two months, though. That's almost the longest yet. I wonder how she keeps up in school?"  
  
Snap let the question hang unanswered. Penny was a genious. What more needed to be said?  
  
"I just whish she would tell me where she was going."  
  
"Oh, Rudy. She probably has her reasons."  
  
"Yeah. Penny told me that it's because at her old schools, whenever she left on a trip to some weird place, especially out of the country, the kids there would start to like her just because of that. She said that they liked her because her family has money."  
  
"Oh. Now, are we goin' to Penguin Bowl, or just stand right here and talk? Penguin's can't knock themselves over, you know."  
  
Rudy could almost hear Penny saying "Well, technically, they can, but why would they want too?" In the back of his mind. He grabbed a snow ball, stepped back, and sent it down the alley.  
  
Penny's life hadn't always been like this. There was a time, about two years ago, when Penny had felt a sort of unity in her life. She'd had friends, (that is, more then two) and her family had been united. Then her Dad had gotten a job in Oregon, and everything had changed. Her Mom hadn't wanted to move, to root up the life in which they were so comfortable. Her Dad hadn't wanted to, either. He didn't want to leave his home town for anything, he had just thought the change would be good for Penny. Well, he had thought wrong. Right away, the kids at school were horrible. First they made fun of the way she talked, coming from New England into a textbook state (textbook state means that their accent is exactly the way it is pronounced in encyclopedias. Oregon and Washington are the only two 'textbook' states). Then they didn't like her because she was smart.  
  
And then they had moved again.  
  
And again.  
  
And again.  
  
And finally they were where they were now. Plainsville. With Rudy, and Snap. Penny almost felt like she had a home again. Almost.  
  
Then there were the out-of-country trips. Those were always fun. Penny liked to go places foreign, and exotic. She just had to keep it a secret. She didn't want to give kids another reason to hate her.  
  
But a few times each year, she got to HAVE a home. She got to go back, and visit everyone where she had come from. For two months of heaven each year, and a few weeks at other times.  
  
Only problem was that all and all, she was gone more then half of the year.  
  
And once again, that made her a freak.  
  
I'm sorry if this part didn't have much Rudy or Snap, or Chalkzone in it at all. The next part will. 


	2. Part Two: Of Hotels and Hair

Okay. I'm not going to talk much before the stories, because there isn't really much need, but I would like to give special thanks to Satori and Mayrose for replying. If anyone else out there has replied hasn't been posted yet, then I thank you, too.  
  
Oh, and for those of you who think that the first part was based on my life, it sort of is. But this from here on out, it isn't at all. Or barely is. I just needed that part to help judge how Penny would act and react to certain situations.  
  
Now, on with the fic!  
  
"Come on, Mildred, I will not ask for directions!" Rudy's dad, Joe, sounded exasperated.  
  
"I'm sorry Joe but I'm not going to drive around a city that we've never heard of in a state we've never been to for hours. I just want to get through this, and get on to my sister in Canada. Give her a nice housewarming party." She paused, looking out the window, "Say, why don't we ask that nice group of girls over there. They certainly seem to know what they are doing."  
  
Rudy sighed. He just couldn't wait to reach their hotel, so that he could get his chalkboard out of his suitcase, and visit Snap. rudy hadn't even had time to say goodbye. Of course, that wasn't really his fault. His parents didn't often decide to take cross-country road trips on the last minute. But they were. Traveling through Freeport, Maine. The city of stores, as Rudy thought of it.  
  
Rudy could hear his mother ask the girls, "You fine girls wouldn't happen to know the way to the Freeport Inn, would you?"  
  
Rudy could hear a lot of giggling, and could hear them ouching one girl to the front, "Come on, Pen. You're the one who's good with maps and such."  
  
"Oh, be quiet Chelsea." Rudy looked up sharply at the familiar voice. He quickly found the girl who said it. Her face was hidden from view, but from what he could tell, it didn't look like Penny. Her hair was straight like Penny's, but with sun-streaks. And Penny never wore jeans and brand- name T-shirts. The girl's voice hitched, "Mrs Tabootie?"  
  
Then it was Penny after all.  
  
I'm sorry that this part is reallllllllly short, but this just seemed like a good place for a cliffhanger. Ahh, yes, the fanfic readers worst nightmare. The Cliffie. 'Course, it's also the fic writers best friend. Guaruntees (almost) that you'll read the next part when it comes up. 


	3. Of Talk and Tamali

Rudy just stared. This was Penny, right? The girl (he thought it was Penny) Turned and looked at him through his rolled-down window, "Rudy, is that you? What brings you up here into Maine at this time of year?" Yes, it was definately Penny, but she was talking differently, too. Gone was her text-book accent, and in it's place was... well, I could just call it a Maine accent, but that's cheap. I'll do my best to describe what they talk like in Maine. If they were to say 'here' it would sound like he-uh. And year is ye-uh. Instead of 'of' it's the small 'a' sound. That should help, I think. Sorry for the interruption. back to the story.  
  
"Penny? You sound..."  
  
"Different? Yeah, I know. The first lesson for tourists like yourselves is that we might talk funny in Maine, but we're still smarter (said smaht- ah) then you are." This illicited many giggles from the girls in the back of the group.  
  
"huh?" At Rudy's response, the girls laughed harder.  
  
"It's on one of Maine's most popular bumper stickers." A long-haired blond girl, by the name of Chelssea explained. "So, you want to get to the Inn? Your in luck, that's where we're stayin'. I would tell you where it is, but you can't get there (they-uh) from here." More giggles. One short girl with short black hair fell over laughing,Chelsea shot back "Quiet, Jenelle."  
  
"Whatever, Chelsea."  
  
"What was that all about?" Rudy stopped watching the girls in the back.  
  
"It's Maine humor. Sometimes I almost forget your a tourist. No Mainiac north of Bangor would be caught dead asking for directions, If they do, that's the response they'll get. All Maine citizens are brought up with that quote."  
  
"And I guess that your not a tourist?" Rudy was skeptical.  
  
"You know, Pen, he's right. You are a tourist now." Chelsea teased. "Probably the kind that can't eat a lobster, too."  
  
"You want to bet?"  
  
"Your on."  
  
"What's going on?" Rudy asked.  
  
"Chelsea and I are going to have a lobster fight, and we just invited you to lunch. Come on!"  
  
The Tabooties parked their car, and followed Penny toward a small house with several wooden boilers out front. There was a sign over it, "McGinnis' Lobster Pot."  
  
Penny turned to Chelsea, "Loser pays for all?"  
  
"Better get out your wallet."  
  
"Right. You know that I can eat a lobster faster then you, and iI/i actually take the time to eat the legs." The legs have the best meat, but most people don't bother, because it take's too long to get the meat out. I however, have prefected the technique.  
  
"Well, I eat the tamali." (the Tamali is this green stuff inside of a lobster. Basically, the stomache. It's considered a delicacy in some countrys, but I never really liked it.)  
  
"That's just because your gross."  
  
"Whatever. Anyway, you iused/i to eat Lobster faster then me. But now that your not a local... I don't know."  
  
"Just eat."  
  
They both bent over their lobster (for during the argument they had ordered) and wrenched off the tail. 


	4. Chapter Four: Of Musings And Money

Hey everybody! I FINALLY updated. I know it's been a while, but life's been- shall we say, a nightmare. No, not really that bad, but between school, and, well, school, that's enough to ruin one's day. And, Erin, if you read this, well, at least you didn't freak out and stuff on FF.Net. But- Just, next time, you can just call me up to freak out, not do it on the net where everyone can read our cousinly rivalry.  
  
K, here it goes, but first a few words of advice:  
  
If your going as a a purple people eater for halloween, wear purple, not green. (personal experience. Well, actually my cousin Erin's. NEWay, that was revenge for flaming me on N.Com. AND saying my full name. Grrrrrrr)  
  
If you don't like spaghetti, don't eat it.  
  
Dogs bark, cats meow, and snakes hiss. People eat. Pickles.  
  
Pickles are green and pickely and taste really good.  
  
If we could just get along with our vegetable counter parts, the world would be a better place.  
  
Love your Aardvark, and everything will be alright.  
  
Okay, without further adu, the chapter:  
  
Penny triumphantly licked her fingers, "Guess who's paying tonight! And you haven't even finished the body!"  
  
Chelsea glared, "At least I have half a brain."  
  
"Gee, I don't seem to remember it being I who got a 'C' on that third grade science test- and the fourth grade one- and the fifth grade one- and the sixth grade one, cuz you know I come up here to visit you and take 'em for fun, and a certain someone got a 'D' on the seventh grade one..."  
  
"Yeah. That was my brother."  
  
"Sorry, I never could tell you two apart."  
  
"PENNY!"  
  
Watching their friendly bickering, to which the other girls had just added their voices, Rudy felt a strange sense of isolation. And then it hit him. That same isolation was what Penny had felt most of the time watching him and Snap in Chalkzone. She was just as out of place. A new environment, new people, a new life. Was this what it was like for her, moving from place to place, just hanging out with whoever would accept her, but feeling like she was sitting on the other side of the room, not even there. Rudy heard his name, and snapped back to life.  
  
"And now, I spend lunch trying to get Rudy to do his homework instead of drawing." Some how the conversation had veered toward this.  
  
"Ahh, but what about all of those times that I drew to help you? or have you so conveniently forgotten those? Maybe a certain giant jellybean would refresh your memory..."  
  
Penny burst out laughing, "Ahh, but it was you who drew the evil jellybean in the first place."  
  
"It wasn't supposed to look like that!"  
  
The other girls looked utterly lost. It was quite obvious thay Penny had told the, virtually nothing about Chalkzone, and she didn't plan to.  
  
"So, what do you think of the Pinetree State?"  
  
"It's--- different." All the girls laughed again. Then they started off on a long list.  
  
"Ahh, but this is just Freeport. There's Bangor, and Acadia, and the Bay of Fundy."  
  
"And Bar Harbor."  
  
"Acadia. Same diffrerence."  
  
"And, of course, the Gateway to Maine."  
  
"SHe means Calais."  
  
"And there's Meddybemps!!!" They all finished together.  
  
"Meddybemps?" rudy asked.  
  
"Our home town. And my Mom asked your mom, and your going there."  
  
"WHAT!?!"  
  
AN: Thanks everyone for reviewing. Your reviews really do help. Through this fic thingy, I'm going to be naming various lake towns that are found around the calais region (like Meddybemps, and Pochamoonshine, Nevada Lake, etc, etc). I have not been to all of them, just got some of them off of the atlas for lack of places, but most of them have the same characteristics.  
  
ElvenQueenWren  
  
I love my Aardvark, My Aardvark Loves Me, I Love My Aardvark By the Juniper tree My Little Aardvark goes: Oi, da dee oi da dee oi da dee oi da dee doid. 


	5. Chapter Five: Of Principles and Portals

Hi there, updating again, to make up for my lack of updation in recent times. Okay then-, enough of my blabbing away, read chapter four!  
  
Penny sat on her bed at the Freeport inn, engrossed in her book. Tonight she was reading a book on the Anthropic Principle. It was different, and definitely didn't totally follow with her beliefs on evolution, but at least it wasn't another Darwinism theory. To Penny, Yes, Evolution happened, but not the way described by Darwinism. There were too many gaps. Penny was never very religious, and didn't strictly believe in God, but she believed in what made sense. God made sense, evolution did too, Darwinism did not. Even though she was firmly rooted in her own beliefs, and the Anthropic Principle was not one of them, she always had felt it best to see each point of view. Now, if Darwin had only taken into account that---  
  
A faint knock on the door interrupted her musings. She glanced nervously at Chelsea, who she was rooming with. Chelsea didn't stir.  
  
Penny crossed to the door quickly, knowing it would be Rudy. Trying to keep as quiet as possible, he only said one word: "Chalkzone?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
She quickly followed him down the hall, turning into his room. Rudy rummaged through his bag, until he found his mini chalkboard. Quickly drawing the portal, he slipped in. Penny followed.  
  
"Wow. I don't think I've ever seen this part of chalkzone before."  
  
"Well, you wouldn't have, would you?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, considering that Chalkzone is made up of things that people draw all over the world, it must be quite large, and then considering the fact that each chalk board opens to a different spot then you can't have expected to come out right on the dot, could you? And then there's the fact that the realworld-to-Chalkzone distance ratio is about 1:3, I'd say that we're about three times as far from your Chalkboard then Freeport is from Plainsville, which means that we're approximately," Penny screwed up her face in concentraion, "One-thousand twenty-four miles from your entrance."'  
  
After all this time, Rudy should be used to Penny doing these amaxing mathematical and scientific feats. He wasn't, "Then where are we going to go? I don't know anythign about this area, and I don't think Snap's here, this is pretty far away, so I don't think I know any people here, either."  
  
Penny stopped, and said slowly, as if to herself, "I do."  
  
Hope that you liked this chapter, and sorry it's so short. I hope to post again tonight, though, to make up for it. Thanks, Crimson Lugia, for reviewing, and please, everyone, please, if you are reading this story, please review. Flames are accepted.  
  
ElvenQueenWren 


	6. Chapter Six: Of Chalkzone and Children

Chapter up! I hope that you enjoy this one, and sorry if that last one was a bit short. I just thought I'd found a good place to cut it off. Well, I know that y'all didn't come here to listen to be blab, or to listen to my 'words of wisdom', so I'll just let you read the fic.  
  
Rudy turned towards her slowly, "What did you say?"  
  
But Penny didn't notice. Her eyes were closed, as if accessing memories long dormant, then she began, slowly, as if to herself "When I lived here, in Maine, that is, there was another girl. What else happened doesn't matter now. That's all in the past. Basically, I was telling stories about the places I'd been- you know how I travel- and one girl there, she liked to be in the spotlight. She and I were... friends, I suppose. She decided that I should see something really amazing. She brought me here. She would usually go off somewhere in Chalkzone, and leave me behind, and I- I would just stay here, and wait for her to return. She would give me a piece of chalk, but I do not thing that she realized I could not use it as she. I simply sat here, and waited. Somedays, yes, somedays I would wonder, but never straying too far, not sure if I could find my way back. I made friends, yes, with the chalkpeople around here. Finally I had the courage to go far. I went into a village with some of my chalk friends, and we just hung out. I ddin't really think of her as my friend, but she had so few, and I know that she thought of me as one. I guess that I should have been kinder to her when my friends were around, but I suppose I was downight rotten. Except, of course, when we were together in Chalkzone. Like I said, she always ignored me there. There, I was the weakling, she the popular one. But even then, she took me into chalkzone with her. I think that she just wanted someone to share her secret with. Then, one day, in the real world, the girl fell while climbing a tree to catch up with me- you see, she was physically very weak, but with the chalk in her hand she was strong- and she fell. I can still see her there, face contorted with pain, screaming. Her parents took her to the hospital in Portland., and I never saw her again. She never wrote, never called, and..." Penny's voice broke, "We weren't very close, but I always blamed myself for that fall. I think that she might... she might have died. I tried so hard to forget all about Chalkzone, that I suppose I did. But, but I remember now. Her name was Melina."  
  
Rudy was at a loss at what to do. He had never heard Penny tell so much of her past, at once, or in fragments. He awkwardly patted her back.  
  
"I'm all right. Really. Let's go find some chalkpeople. That is past. I know it wasn't my fault. Her parents didn't blame me. They liked me, because I let her tag along. It was just one mistake. Let's go. If I remember correctly- and this place has changed a lot, the nearest village is that way."  
  
"Uhh, okay."  
  
Penny resolutely walked across the open plane, and Rudy got the feeling that she wasn't just confronting what may now be unknown, but confronting her own guilt.  
  
"I remember this part! Right here, this was where I met the first Chalkpeople! A blues singer, and a jazz singer. She- the jazz singer, I mean, said she was drawn by a little girl named Ella who wanted to sing in the early nineteen twenties. I asked her what Ella's last name was, and she said Fitzgerald. The blues singer didn't know who drew him."  
  
"Huh."  
  
"And then this way- this way was to the Bell Hop. All the bells from all of ChalkMaine gathered there. They also had a Sock Hop, but I only went there once, because it smelled quite bad."  
  
Rudy laughed, "I can imagine."  
  
"It should be about over here-" But there was no-one there, just a deserted building.  
  
Well, I hoped that you liked this chapter. Yeah, I know that my recent ones have been a little bit short, but the plot is moving on a lot faster then I thought it would. Sorry about the simple fact that this story had only what, eleven paragraphs? The next one, I promise, will be much longer.  
  
ElvenQueenWren  
  
Always wash your toaster, and be sure to treat chairs with respect! 


	7. Chapter Seven: Of Kneeling and Nikes

A lone tumbleweed rolled across the deserted desert in front of an old, saloon-like building. On it was a faded sign that read, "Bell Hop."  
  
"Where is everybody?" Penny's voice was unsteady.  
  
"This sure is creepy. I wish Snap were here right now. He usually knows what's going on in other parts of Chalkzone." It wasn't the last time that Rudy would wish that.  
  
"For once, I do, too." Penny knelt to the ground, apparently stricken.  
  
"Penny, what's wrong? Are you all right?"  
  
"I'm fine, Rudy. Come over here and look."  
  
She was bent over a footprint in the mud.  
  
"So--- someone walked here?"  
  
"Not just any someone. Tell me, Rudy, have you ever known someone to go into deatail drawing the sole of a person's shoes?"  
  
"Well, no, but-"  
  
"Okay. And how many chalkpeople could just happen to be wearing THREE DIMENTIONAL Nikes?"  
  
"Okay.....?"  
  
Penny sighed, "I went read the Encyclopedia Of Shoes about a month ago. These are 2004 Nike Airs. A very expensive model, not yet out for release."  
  
"Oh! Wait- I still don't get it."  
  
"RUDY! That means that someone else was here when it happened. When whatever ruined this town happened." Seeing that he still didn't get it, she continued, "Someone HUMAN."  
  
"Oh! But then- that means- that means that there's some other creator here. But where?"  
  
"How would I know." Penny was becoming plainly irritated. Rudy was nice and all, but sometimes Penny missed being around people that were as smart as she was, and she hadn't been since that Talented and Gifted summer camp last year, "We don't even know whether it was friend or foe. The person might just have walked by here afterwards, been here when it happened, or made it happen."  
  
"Oh... but what about before? How do you know this didn't happen a long time ago?"  
  
"Simple. It appears as if most of the houses here were destroyed by a tornado- a tornado of fire. The wind would blow away any prints, and the ashes that would settle afterwards would hold them well."  
  
"Oh.... How do you know all this?"  
  
"I read, Rudy. I just- read."  
  
"Oh...."  
  
"Can you say anything else? Let's just go look for clues or something."  
  
"Oh ye--" Rudy caught himself, "wait, I mean, sure." Rudy ran to catch up with is friend, who was already looking inside of the Bell Hop.  
  
Penny held up a hand, "Do you hear anything?"  
  
Rudy strained to listen. There was the a faint scuffling sound, like someone pushing a heavy box along the floor. He nodded.  
  
"It's coming from that door." Penny raised her voice, "Anyone there?"  
  
The scuffling grew louder.  
  
"C'mon, Penny. We've got to push that door down." Rudy ran, and slammed into the door, but to no avail.  
  
Penny just stood there, "Uh, Rudy?"  
  
"No. Time. To. Talk. Now. Must. Save. Breathe." Rudy panted throwing himself at the door again.  
  
Penny sighed. Rudy was a great guy, but he could be a bit rash sometimes, "Rudy!"  
  
"Give me a hand her, Penny. I can''t knock it in on my own."  
  
"RUDY!!!!!!!"  
  
"What is it? Why aren't you helping, c'mon." But he stopped at the expression on her face.  
  
"Use. The. Chalk, Rudy." Said Penny, irritation raw on her voice.  
  
"Oh yeah!" He quickly drew a battering ram, "Wait, I can't lift it!"  
  
"Or, Rudy, you could just use the chalk to draw a screwdriver. Then, I can take off the doorknob, and it will open, WITHOUT any mortal wounds." 


	8. Chapter Eight: Of Alasplash and Abernath...

Rudy quickly drew the scewdriver, and passed it on to Penny. She quickly took out the scews... only the ones needed, and pulled off the nob. While she did this, Rudy watched, amazed.  
  
"Where did you learn that?"  
  
"I read about it."  
  
"Of course."  
  
The door swung easily open, and they gasped at what was inside. Two chalkfigures lay bound and gagged on the floor, and began thrashing more franticly at the sight of the two in the doorway.  
  
"It's alright. We're here to help you." Rudy reassured them.  
  
"Hold still, so I can take this off." Penny quickly removed the gag, and gave the chalk-person a chance to breathe. Rudy worked on the other one.  
  
"Untie my hands so I can help." The chalk-person Rudy was helping gasped. His voice was rough from thirst. Rudy drew a glass, and held it out for him.  
  
"The hands, Lad, the hands. I can't hold it telepathically, you know."  
  
Rudy, looking sheepish, did so.  
  
He downed it swiftly, and sighed in relief, "That's better."  
  
Penny was already helping hers to her feet. This one seemed to be holding out much better then the other.  
  
"Pshaw, now, I don't need help, I've barely been in here a day. That fellows been in much longer."  
  
"Don't worry. Rudy's with him," Penny dimmed the light in what was left of the bell hop, knowing that the chalkladies eyes would take a moment to adjust, and she did not want to damage them, "Come out here and sit down."  
  
She obliged, albeit grudgingly.  
  
"Can you tell me who did this? What did this? How..?"  
  
"I don't know. It just... happened."  
  
"Please... tell me exactly what happened."  
  
"I was just walking along Alasplash River, and I heard these footsteps behind me, and then everything went black."  
  
"The Alasplash River... I've heard of that place!" Rudy suddenly said.  
  
"You have?"  
  
"Yeah. Snap said something about it being one of the tributaries into the Amazin River."  
  
"Did you say the Alasplash?'" The chalkman asked, his features barely distinguishable in the dim light, "That's where I was caught, too."  
  
"Then that's where we're going. Ready Penny?"  
  
"Ready, Rudy," Penny turned to the two chalkpeople, "You two should have everything that you need here, and your eyes should be ready to face the light by now. You'll be alright?"  
  
"Of course we'll be alright," The chalkwoman admonished, "We're coming with you, aren't we." She turned to the man, who was acting as if he'd never heard her, "I said, AREN'T WE?"  
  
"What? Right. Of course she's co---"  
  
"WE'RE"  
  
"Right, right. WE'RE coming."  
  
"That's what I thought." The Chalkgirl smirked.  
  
The door out of the Bell Hop protested loudly as they opened it, and light flooded the room. For the first time Penny could see the chalkpeoples features. She gasped.  
  
"I know you! Y-you're... you're.. you're Abernathy . You used to sing Blues here."  
  
Abernathy was very pleased that someone remembered him, "Emphasis on the used too. That was about three years ago. You do seem vaguely familiar."  
  
"Vaguely familiar! Abernathy, shame! That's young Penny Sanchez. Remember? Three years back." The Chalklady said from behind her.  
  
"And your the jazz singer. Gabrielle."  
  
"Oh. Now I remember her. The girl who used to come and do math for us. Whatever happened to you? You were going to count up our concert savings."  
  
"It's so nice to be remembered, " Penny sid dryly, but the sarcasm was lost on Abernathy.  
  
"Your welcome."  
  
Gabrielle rolled her eyes, and muttered something about 'ignorance.'  
  
"Well... the Alasplash river, then?" Rudy asked, eager to get on with it.  
  
"Yes. Maybe then we'll find out why everyone who gets anywhere near there dissappears."  
  
Abernathy stopped. "Wait... dissappears? I don't want to get nocked on the head again. Remind me again why we're going there?"  
  
Okay, just a quick A/N to acknowledge my reviewers (more like reviewER) but that doesn't matter. Okay,  
  
Beatiful Mind: I know that not everyone talks like that in New England. I grew up there. It's mostly the older generation that does that now, and it happens more frequently in areas that are farther north. And then, of course, each area's accent is a little bit different. New Hampshire versus Maine, and then there's New York, and Massachussettes. They all have slightly different inflections. In my years there, even though I don't have an accent myself, I just sorta grew fond of it, and I just felt like putting it in. Anyway, thanks for reviewing. 


	9. Chapter9:Of Bridges and Binoculars

Okay, quick A/N and then the story.  
  
Crimson Lugia: I'll just ignore those four scientific impossibilities, and run away. I didn't really want Abernathy to be such a jerk when I wrote him... just horridly annoying, and a bit tactless. Unfortunately, my OC's have minds of their own ;-). And, yes, R/P goodness. Okay, now before you ignore those four scientific impossibilities and draw a battering ram, I'd better get on with it.  
  
Anhelga: Yes! I'm sooo happy someone else reviewed! I decided that I wouldn't post the next part until someone else reviewed, *tries to ignore Crimson's evil battering ram*, instead of on tuesday. I decided that, if it will help me be more motivated, I'll make a schedule, so that i'll update this story every tuesday and Thursday, or whenever else I feel motivated. And sorry about all the typos. My spellcheck's been on the fritz, and I can't proofread worth a darn. Yes, yes, i's called 'dictionary' but I'm too lazy. Oh, I read your profile. You like the Arthur trilogy? I've read the first one (and LOVED it) but I haven't been able to find the other three.  
  
Okay, now to the story.  
  
"Come ON!" Gabrielle turned back and souted, for what may have been the seven-hundredth time.  
  
"B-but the bridge is all rickety, and it could fall any minute, and," Abernathy trailed off, facing the full rath of Gabrielle's anger.  
  
"And a semi-truck just passed over it with no problem. Now go!"  
  
Abernathy took a tentative step forward, shivering so hard that he just might fall off the center of the ten foot bridge. He took another step, and another, and... And I'm going to skip forward to our heroes, because this could take all day.  
  
Rudy and Penny were scanning the horizon through Rudy's newly drawn binoculars, looking for something- anything- coming there way.  
  
"It's no use." Penny sighed, "You can tell there was something there, but whatever it is is long gone now.  
  
"How long?"  
  
"About 3.689254 hours."  
  
"Oh," Rudy shrugged it off. Where Penny got those numbers from, he'd never know.  
  
"Oh." Came a mocking voice from behind them, "About 3.689254 hours."  
  
"It's 3.689259 hours now." Penny corrected immediately, thinking it was Rudy.  
  
The voice came again, "Oh. That's just like Penny Sanchez. Still doing those great feats of math, I see. It's nice to know some things never change."  
  
Penny turned around, and followed Rudy's gaze up the hill. Standing on top was a stunningly pretty girl... about their age.  
  
"Melina? I thought you were dead."  
  
"Do I look dead?" The girl asked.  
  
"I'm glad your not. Does everyone know your alive? Chelsea, Jenelle, Brieanna, Jonathen...."  
  
"No." The girls tone was icy, clipped. Penny didn't notice.  
  
"You should come with us back to the Freeport Inn. We're staying there, and all the old gang is around. You can meet Rudy's parents."  
  
The girl seemed for the first time to notice Rudy. Her eyes looked him up and down, finally coming to rest on the chalk held in one hand, "Yes. Penny, I can see some things never change." The girl's eyes were flinty now, "Still following around some person with chalk, hoping for some attention from your betters."  
  
The smile was gone from Penny's face. "Well, Melina, I can see you haven't changed a bit, either."  
  
A/N: Yes, yes, I know. Another horridly short chapter. Don't worry. The one that I'm going to post on Tuesday will be huge. 


	10. CH 10: That long one I promised

HAPPY TUESDAY!  
  
I'm going to try to update very often... thinking Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, because I want to get as much done as possible before the winter break, because I wil not have time to write. Well, more along the lines of me not having access to a computer, but.... I'm going to look on the bright side of things.... like I won't be gone 'til the seventeenth, so that's a good few parts written... *gulp* I hope.  
  
Okay, like I said, beautifully long part... Yes, Crimson Lugia, you can breathe now. And please, eat. I don't think starvation would suit you. And if you don't drink and die, then how are you supposed to read the next part? *sigh* I hope I don't lose my reviewer to the icy grips of dehydration. Wait. Why am I writing this? If your dead, then you can't read it. if your alive, then this is totally pointless. *wipes brow* At least you put away the evil battering ram of doom.  
  
Thanks ahhelga! I'm sooo happy that you like CZ even more now. My Mom recommended Arthur: The Trilogy to me. Do you know if there's any fanfiction for it on here?  
  
Now... behold the glory that is... CHAPTER TEN! MWHAHAHAHAHAAA!  
  
"I can see that you haven't changed, either."  
  
"Nope. Can't say I have."  
  
"Girlie, she just insulted you." Abernathy informed the evil-looking 'girlie' from his safe retreat behind Gabrielle.  
  
"As far as I'm concerned, it was a complement." Melina stated smugly from the top of the hill.  
  
"Take it as what you wish. It was an insult."  
  
"My, my, you have some awfully brave words for someone who hides behind his GIRLFRIEND." Gabrielle taunted.  
  
Abernathy stepped out, face all a rage, "SHE IS NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!"  
  
"Is too!"  
  
"Not!  
  
"Too!"  
  
"Not!"  
  
'SHUT UP!" Gabrielle snapped. Penny nodded in agreement.  
  
"Why is is that all the villains we meet are so argumentative?"  
  
Rudy shrugged. "No clue."  
  
Abernathy quickly dodged behind Gabrielle, avoiding Melina's scathing glare.  
  
"Wait a second... I know you." Melina said suddenly, "You're that freak that I locked in the cupboard at the Bell Hop."  
  
"Actually... it was more of a closet."  
  
"SILENCE!" Melina boomed, and Abernathy shrunk back, as surprised as Melina at his little show of confidence. "So, I know the cowering one but you, I don't know who you are." She turned to Gabrielle.  
  
"Gabrielle VanWintershnit," Gabrielle gave a mocking bow, "Someone locked me in the same closet as the 'cowering one'- Abernathy- until these two let me out."  
  
"Hmm. Seems one of my creations caught you trespassing, maybe? Trespassing... like your doing now?" She flicked her wrist, and the chalk appeared out of nowhere. A low rumbling sound followed, and about twenty cruel-looking chalkcreatures followed.  
  
"Now, I leave. You and my minions, however, are going to get better aquainted." And Melina faded into the croud.  
  
Rudy and Penny exchanged glances. They had been in worse scrapes than this, and had come out alright. Of course, then, they had Snap. Gabrielle was tough, and she could help, but Abernathy, on the other hand, would only get in the way. In the end, they equaled each other out. For all intents and purposes, Rudy and Penny were alone. Rudy quickly drew four walkie- talkies, as the group grew ever closer.  
  
Passing them around, Penny indicated the switch on the side, to talk. They split up, Rudy taking the right, Penny the left, Gabrielle charging forward, and Abernathy staying behind to 'guard' from his safe perch up a tree. Rudy tossed the chalk to Penny, with it drawing a rope, and passed the rope to Gabrielle. he then reclaimed the chalk. They each held a corner of the rope, waiting for the horde of creatures to come running.  
  
They never did.  
  
At that moment, a great horn sounded in the deep... a truck horn. A very large truck horn.  
  
The chalk-creatures turned to watch it drive up, with a load of chalk soldiers behind it. It wasn't long before each of the evil-creature- thinger-bobbers was tied up. With a "HUT!HUT!HUT!HUT!HUT!" They loaded them into the truck. Rudy glanced toward the truck just in time to see a blue thing jump from the cockpit. "Heya Rudy. Fancy meetin' up with you here."  
  
"Snap?"  
  
Snap rolled his eyes, "No. I'm a Snip. Of course it's me, bucko! Who're your friends. Is Penny here?"  
  
Penny sighed, "I'm right here, Snap."  
  
"Woah, woah, wait a minute, your not Penny." He said suspiciously, eyeing her red-streaked locks, and jeans.  
  
Penny just rolled her eyes.  
  
"All right then. Prove it. What's fourty-two to the third power times pumpkin pie?"  
  
"You mean pi."  
  
"Yeah, that."  
  
'232636.32."  
  
"Yep, that's Penny all right. So, what're youse two doin out here?"  
  
"I used to live here. I mean, in real-world here."  
  
"And I was on vacation."  
  
"Right... well, seems to me that I came just in ti-." A loud cough came from behind Snap, as Gabrielle tried to get him to acknowledge her presence.  
  
"I'm Gabrielle VanWintershnit. The one hiding in the tree- that's Abernathy."  
  
Snap did a double take, "VanWintershnit? Musical guardians of the Alasplash? Pleased to meet you."  
  
"Umm... same."  
  
Rudy and Penny exchanged lost glances.  
  
"Hey! What about me, boy? I'm Abernathy Homes! Haven't you heard of me?"  
  
"Uhh... No. Can't say I have."  
  
"But you MUST have heard of me! I sing! I dance! I play one mean piano! I love money!"  
  
"Sorry, can't say I do."  
  
Abernathy looked from one person to the next, begging for assistance, his eyes finally resting on the real-world girl in front of him, "Wait... you! Penny! Tell them how good I was."  
  
Cornered, Penny shrugged, "Well, you did play a MEAN piano. It bit me once."  
  
Abernathy beamed.  
  
"Moving on, then." Gabrielle pushed him aside, "You are Snap White, I presume. Thank you so much for coming."  
  
"Well, I found the time... the fireplug ballet was canceled cuz of excessive paint chipping, Rhapsheeba's on tour in Gnome, Pants, Pain, Hottland, and Fiddle-y, Pie Day's not for another 198 days, and Rudy was gone. I thought, why not?"  
  
"You called him?" Rudy asked.  
  
"Yes. Your exploits are not unknown to us... as you can see, we've been having a bit of trouble with... that girl lately. Help?"  
  
"Of course!" Penny exclaimed.  
  
"Why not!" Rudy agreed.  
  
"Bring it on!" Snap shook a meancing fist.  
  
"All evil will cower before Abernathy The Great!" Abernathy paused, "All evil can wait until tomorrow, right?"  
  
How was this? Long enough? Probably not, but I tried. It's a full three AppleWorks size twelve pages. Actually, I wanted to make it longer, but I decided to post it now instead of later. 


	11. CH 11: Back in the hotel

Okay, this is written kind of last minute... a VERY short part, because I just found out that I won't be here for the next few days. My parents have a fondness for last-minute vacations and skiing, so to Oregon's Cascades I go!  
  
Crimson Lugia: I'd give you the rabid piano, but it's on loan from my cousin Erin. Yes, if any people out there are reading it and not reviewing and got mad at my piano pun, well, THE ERIN MADE ME DO IT! There. Anyway, I'd gladly give it too you. It's quite a nuisance. Thanks for pointing out the Gabrielle/Melina error. Sigh. Mine olde eyes groweth tired, proofreading mine humble document.  
  
Chapter Eleven:  
  
Penny stepped off the magical ladder, and pulled herself up through the chalkportal. Rudy grabbed her hand and helped her through to the other side, "Thanks."  
  
They stood in awkward silence for a moment, "Err, goodnight then."  
  
"Goodnight." Penny walked out into the hall. Moving down the hallway and up three flights of stairs, pausing momentarily at her parent's room to get a new book for the morning. Penny finally reached the room she and Chelsea shared, she quietly opened the door, and proceeded to lock it behind her. She turned to find Chelsea sitting up in bed, an accusing look on her face.  
  
"You said coming back here would be just like old times. You were right." Penny relaxed a little, but that was gone when Chelsea continued, "These weren't the old times I'd wanted to relive."  
  
"What do you mean?" Penny said guardedly.  
  
"You're disappearing again. Just like you did with Melina."  
  
Fortunately, the room was too dark to see Penny flinch at the name. Quickly making up an excuse for her absence, she said, "I finished my book. I went to my parents room to get a new one." She indicated the book in her hand as proof.  
  
"This took you three hours?"  
  
Penny hadn't realized she'd been gone that long. Chelsea must have woken up right after she'd left. She hoped it hadn't been sooner, "I was lost." She caught her friends eyes imploringly.  
  
Chelsea turned away, "Remember all those years ago, at your fifth birthday? We made a pact. We swore to tell each other everything."  
  
"I remember it."  
  
"But you don't follow it."  
  
"I was lost," Penny repeated. It was half true. She had gotten lost in Chalkzone on the way back, thanks to Snaps directions.  
  
The silence hung heavily for a moment, "Alright. It's not that hard to get lost in here, anyway," Even to her own ears, it sounded lame. It had been a while... at least a year, since Penny had last stayed in the Freeport Inn. Last time they had stayed in Portland. Penny could get lost on the sprawling floors, connected by the airwalks. It was a believable excuse, Chelsea thought. Only problem was, even she didn't believe it.  
  
"Thanks." Penny said quietly, for the second time that night, her one word reaching an understanding taht a thousand couldn't. The friends wouldn't talk about that night for a while, but one day, Penny would tell. You could almost feel the mood in the room brighten.  
  
Chelsea's eyes glinted mischeviously, "So... about this Rudy.... Are all the boys in Plainsville that cute?"  
  
Again, I am so sorry that this part is impossibly short... even by my sad sandards. The really sad thing is that I type around fifty words per minute, but my chapters remain extremely short. Definately odd for the girl who used to fail the writing assessments, because her stories were too long. I guess standardized testing is starting to get to me. Alas, for the life of an eighth grader! 


	12. Of Morons and Midges

Chapter Twelve:  
  
CRIMSON LUGIA: Well, I'm updating, cuz I just read this review, and I didn't want you to rarg at your screen. Computers have feelings, too. ROTFL, good luck on the piano hunt. I am soooo glad that someone got my Pain/Spain thing, when my own mother... and father... and all of my friends at school didn't get it, I was starting to feel slightly more insane than usual.  
  
I ran this story by one of my friends at school, and she was *cough* kind enough to tell me that "Rudy and Penny are only ten years old, thank you very much." So, for I guess this story takes place more around the thriteen-year-old range.  
  
And now for some would be shameless self-advertisement, if I were advertising myself. My.. err... DEAREST *cough*not*coughcough* cousin Erin asked me to tell you peoples to read her original story To Catch A Fred on fictionpress.net. She told me to tell you that it is a laugh, and, yeah. Oh, and that it's based on a true story. So, out of the KINDNESS of my heart, I chose to post the link here.  
  
Okay, so maybe it's not out of the kindness of my heart, more along the lines of being threatened with an evil skewer of doom, but I HAVE CONQUERED THE SKEWER!  
  
*Sigh* Only one reviewer... even though Crimson reviewed twice, that's still an all-time low.... YOU HATE ME!  
  
Okay. Well, I guess the only way to make you stop hating me is to update, so here goes.  
  
Car drives. Horrid, long, miserable car drives. Cramped, stuffy, bad air conditioning. Annoying polka music played on the radio, with the father talking on and on about beef. And pork. And lamb. At least, that's what Rudy thought of when he heard the words 'car drive.' Then again, he'd never traveled in a van full of kids before. Chelsea's mother, Willow, sat in the front seat, with Chelsea next to her. In the next row back sat Chelsea's two brothers, Eli and Matt, along with Rudy, behind them sat Penny, Jenelle, and Jenelle's brother Ron. In the fourth row were Brittany, Megan, and Andy. Or, at least, that's how it was when they left. But this was a six-row van, not a mini-van, and pretty soon everyone had spread out all around the car. Ron had out his sony PS2 and a tiny, poor- resolution TV, and he and Brittany were playing each other. Penny had brought along her laptop for internet access, and it had a built-in DVD player, so Chelsea, Jenelle, Penny, and Rudy were watching The Two Towers Extended in the back row, which seated five people. And way up in the front were Andy and Eli, singing Ninety-Nine Bottles Of Cheeze Whiz on the wall. Megan looked up from her gamboy every five minutes to tell them to shut up. Naturally, they sang louder, "Eighty-nine bottles of Cheeze whiz on the Wall."  
  
"SHUT UP!"  
  
"Merry, the trees are talking."  
  
"HA! Beat you again!"  
  
"He's twitching because my axe is imbedded in his nervous system!"  
  
"Three Bottles of Cheezewhiz on the Wall."  
  
"Finally, they're done!"  
  
"Negative one Bottles Of Ceezewhiz on the Wall."  
  
It went on and on.  
  
"We're here!" Willow had shouted from the front seat.  
  
"Negative One-thousand three-hundred twenty se-- What?"  
  
"C'mon!" Penny dragged Rudy out of the car and up the front steps.  
  
"Is this where you live?" Rudy asked.  
  
"No. This is Andy's house. We usually hang out here, because downstairs they have this room with all these closests, and in each of the closets we keep a TV with a game system. They have four small TV's, and one big screen in the main room, along with two N-64's, two Gamecubes, two X- Boxes, a PS1 and a PS2."  
  
"Penny... that's eight game systems, but only five TV's."  
  
"Well, yeah, but sometimes we use two of the same system at once."  
  
"So... where do you live." Rudy asked, watching everyone file down, taking dibs on the screen. Rudy had never been one for video games, and judging by the look on Penny's face, she wasn't either.  
  
Penny considerably brightened at the mention of her Maine house, "Well, it's not really our house. We call it Camp, and when we lived her we only stayed there in the summer, because in the winter time you can't reach it from the main road- it's snowed in. But in the winter time, I loved it there. It was a great place to think. Very quiet. We didn't get running water 'til I was five, and electricity when I was eight. We had this water pump in the middle of the floor, and when I was younger, my Dad would hold me up and let me grab the pump handle, and I would ride it down to the floor, watching the water come spurting out into the bucket. We would do this over and over until my arms were too tired to do anything more." She paused, reminiscing, "Do you want to go?"  
  
"What... don't tell me you can drive at thirteen in Maine."  
  
"No. We'll get Chelsea's oldest brother- Jacob, he's seventeen- to drive us. He'll take any chance he gets."  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
"Remind me again why we had him drive us?" A very dizzy Rudy asked, clutching his car seat for dear life.  
  
"He's the fastest way to get there, Rudy. Now keep your mouth shut, you look positively green, and you know Jacob'll make US clean up the car if YOU make a 'mess'"  
  
Rudy only nodded, and clutched the seat a little tighter.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
"Rudy. Lean against this tree. Now, deep, slow breaths. Would you like some water?"  
  
Rudy shook his head.  
  
"I'll go get you some." Rudy shook his head again, but Penny continued, "Trust me, it'll help. Take it from two years of his driving. When he first got his learners permit, not even Andy could hold it down."  
  
Rudy turned a deeper shade of green.  
  
"Sorry... forget that image. I'm getting that water, and don't you say anything about it. I don't want you to choke on it or something."  
  
Rudy colvulsed forward.  
  
"Sorry... sorry.... yeah. I think i'll be getting that water." She turned and rushed toward the small cabin, yellow with red trim, under her breath, she scolded herself, "Boy, Penny, your a genious. Well, what good are those brains if you can't even show concern without making it worse."  
  
When she came back, Rudy apparently had his nausea under control, so Penny passed him the glass. Rudy downed it swiftly, and laughed, "You'd think after riding rapids in the Amazin' River, Going around Chalkzone on a baby's back, getting fought over by birds, hang gliding, and many other things, that I would have gotten motion sickness by now."  
  
Penny pushed aside the feelings of guilt that came with thoughts of Chalkzone, leaving it int he predicament it was in. In MELINA'S hands. She couldn't go anyway, her parents would be home soon. She exchanged glances with Rudy, and knew he was thinking the same. In an attempt to brighten the mood, she said, "And yet those things that don't make you sick in Chalkzone make you sick here, and here I'm absolutely fine. Must be the chalkdust."  
  
***SOMEWHERE IN CHALKZONE***  
  
Snap: If I didn't no better, I'd say someone just said that I make her sick!"  
  
***AT 'CAMP'***  
  
"You know, If I didn't know better, I'd say that a chalk person just said that I said that he makes me sick."  
  
"Must be the pollen." Rudy suggested.  
  
"You know, if we stay out here, you'll get eated alive. The mosquietos aren't so bad this time of year, but the midges had a second hatch, and the winds dying down."  
  
"....."  
  
"Midges can't stand the wind, but when they come back, they mass around you. They don't have a proboscis, and instead have powerful jaws. You end up pockmarked with a hundred miniscule scabs. The mosquitos you can stand, as they get tired of your blood after a week or so, and go to attack some unfortunate tourist. Midges have extremely short lifespans, so that is not a problem." Penny said in typical Penny Sanchez fashion.  
  
'Typical Penny Sanchez fashion', the thought suddenly struck Rudy that she wasn't talking with that accent anymore. He suddenly realized that she was GLAD to be away from her old friends. He gripped his stomache, still feeling a little queezy. He forced a smile for Penny, "Midges... eaten alive... doesn't sound that good. Let's go inside, shall we?" 


End file.
